Ron Lambert currently has four greyhounds in work - a far cry from when he was in charge of a team of 90 greyhounds back in the day.
Things may have quietened down for Ron these days, but the trainer is as passionate as ever.
Like many trainers, Ron Lambert’s first greyhound, a winner on the WYONG straight track in 1958, was a giveaway.
“As a kid I lived in the Newcastle suburb of Waratah with my grandmother and uncles Alan and Tom Bray, who had a few greyhounds,’’ Lambert explained.
“Their best were Rain Bath, who won over 20 races and was sold to the US as a brood bitch, and Blue Flutter, a Harold Park winner who made history by equalling the Gosford track record of 29.50 as a maiden in the days when the track was sand, before it was converted to grass.
“Alan gave me a pup which I named Alan’s Reject and although she wasn’t much good I had a good win on her when she won her WYONG maiden.
“But it should have been much bigger.
“I was working as a printer and had enough money to put petrol in the car and pay my fare in, with five pounds ($10) left over to put on Alan’s Reject.
“I gave the money to uncle Tom and she won but after the race he confessed that a dog called Four Fingers was a huge tip in the race and was backed from $3.50 to $2.50 so he put three pounds ($6) on him for me and only two pounds ($4) on Alan’s Reject.
“Alan’s Reject was a 20/1 ($21) chance so instead of getting back $200 I won $80, but it was still good.’’
Lambert, whose dog Len’s Honour won a heat of the Wentworth-park">Wentworth">Wentworth Park Maiden Series on February 16 in a sizzling 29.96, rates Combat the best he has trained in Australia.
“He won his maiden at PENRITH in 30.41 when the track record was 30.23 and won in 30.23 at Wenty when the record was 30 seconds flat,’’ he recalled.
“He was in a Young Star Classic final at Wentworth-park">Wentworth">Wentworth Park and also won the Maitland TAB Championship and the Wauchope and Gunnedah Cups.
“In those days you could win big money from the bookmakers by racing in the bush on non-TAB tracks.
“I remember going to MUDGEE and putting $2000 on a dog at $3.50 and the bookie didn’t reduce the price.
“Joe Simpson, who was a greyhound chiropractor at Muswellbrook, taught me the art of checking for and correcting muscle soreness in dogs, and he was a genius who also passed on his knowledge to Jack Irwin.
“Ron Bowen, once considered without peer as a greyhound veterinary surgeon, was also a wonderful tutor to me.
“Zoom Top is the best all round race dog I’ve seen but the fastest was Top Linen, the sire of Black Top.
"I always had a soft spot for Thunder Lane as well.’’
While most trainers seem to prefer one turn tracks, Lambert has always been partial to two turn circuits like Wentworth-park">Wentworth">Wentworth Park, The Gardens and Gosford.
He also has an interesting theory on potential stud dogs.
“All the great sires have been two turn track specialists or dogs which could race equally as well on both the Wentworth and Harold Park type courses,’’ he asserts.
“I can’t think of many outstanding straight trackers or Harold Park or CESSNOCK only champions who became really successful at stud.’’
